Military History Matters 151
The comprehensive website for archaeology, history, heritage and the ancient world. Find out more about us here
Charlemagne: King, conqueror, emperor
In the first part of our special feature for this issue, Stephen Roberts traces the life of this extraordinary individual; while in the second part, he looks in more detail at Charlemagne’s victory at Pavia, which helped him establish the foundations of the Holy Roman Empire.
The Siege of Pavia: Defeating the Lombards, 773-774
In the second part of our special, Stephen Roberts reveals how a key victory helped Charlemagne establish the foundations for the Holy Roman Empire.
Home of Chelsea Pensioners to open to the public for the first time
A Grade I- and Grade II-listed building, designed by King Charles II and Sir Christopher Wren, the hospital was opened in 1692 as a retreat for veterans.
Napoleon: The decline and fall of an empire, 1811-1821 Michael Broers
REVIEW BY ANDRÉ VAN LOON Napoleon: the decline and fall of an empire is the compelling, if partial, closing volume of Michael Broers’ Napoleon trilogy. It marks the end of more than
Back to the Drawing Board: the M11/39 Medium Tank
DAVID PORTER ON MILITARY HISTORY’S DOOMED INVENTIONS
War Classics: Crucible of War
Venturing beyond the ultimate British victory in North America, Anderson delves into parallel conflicts in Europe, Africa, the Caribbean, and India, as well as a subsequent uprising by Native Americans in Pontiac’s War of 1763
Location of Revolutionary War prison camp finally identified
The camp housed hundreds of English, Scottish, and Canadian privates and non-commissioned officers during the Revolutionary War of 1775-1783.
The Commanders: the leadership journeys of George Patton, Bernard Montgomery, and Erwin Rommel Lloyd Clark
REVIEW BY GRAHAM GOODLAD This is not the first joint biography of George Patton, Bernard Montgomery, and Erwin Rommel, arguably the three outstanding battlefield commanders of World War II. Terry Brighton led
Rome: strategy of empire
REVIEW BY MARK CORBY This fine book seeks to overthrow the current academic consensus that the Romans were incapable of strategic thought, had little understanding of their frontiers, lacked the will to
British nuclear test veterans to receive new medal
The Nuclear Test Medal has been announced to commemorate the ‘Plutonium Jubilee’, the 70th anniversary of Britain’s first nuclear test.
‘For battle it was none’: the murder of Evesham, 1265
It was a battle that changed the course of English history – at which the royalist forces of King Henry III won a famous victory over the rebellious barons led by Simon de Montfort. But the events of 4 August 1265 are ripe for reappraisal, says Stephen Roberts.
Military History Competition: win a copy Max Hastings’ Bomber Command
This issue, we’re giving away two copies of Max Hastings’ classic book Bomber Command, courtesy of The Folio Society.
Military History Matters 131 Letters – November 2022
Your thoughts on issues raised by the magazine.
The Brewster F2A Buffalo
The Buffalo originated with a 1935 requirement for a carrier-based fighter to replace the US Navy’s Grumman F3F biplanes. Brewster’s XF2A-1 prototype was selected in June 1938 and the first production aircraft
Military History Matters 131
Campaigns of the Eastern Association: the rise of Oliver Cromwell, 1642-1645
REVIEW BY DAVID FLINTHAM At the outbreak of the English Civil War, Parliament organised much of its fighting strength geographically; in the case of East Anglia (eventually including Huntingdonshire and Lincolnshire) this
Military History Crossword 131
Battle in which the Duke of Monmouth was defeated by the troops of James II? Put your military history knowledge to the test!
Military history exhibitions and events in Winter 2022 – Spring 2023
A round-up of some of the best military history events, exhibitions, and galleries in the UK and the US.
Was Dunkirk really a miracle?
In a new book, Robert Kershaw argues that the lack of a German perspective means we have only a partial understanding of the events of May-June 1940. Here, he explains what his research tells us about a battle that changed the tide of the Second World War.
Iron and Blood: a military history of the German-speaking peoples since 1500
REVIEW BY DAVID PORTER This is a hefty (913 pages!) study, which is not restricted to ‘modern’ Germany but extends to cover the military history of Switzerland and the Holy Roman/Austrian/Austro-Hungarian empires.
The USSR at 100
There were two revolutions in Russia in 1917. In March, tens of thousands of striking workers, peasants, and soldiers — exhausted by the privations of the First World War — took to